Design Delight Studio

Experimental Evidence on Consumers’ Willingness to Pay in Sustainable Fashion

Overview

We studied how consumers choose sustainable fashion. A study in Scientific Reports (November 2025) looked at what drives how people pay and shop for eco-friendly fashion. The work uses ideas from behavior research and product features. It shows that social values, environmental care, quality, and cost play roles in circular fashion decisions.

Key Insights

• Consumer Motivation: Prosocial and pro-environmental values boost purchase choices. These values help raise how much consumers are willing to pay.

• Product Circularity Impact: The study looked at three leather bags that differ in their eco-friendly methods:

  1. Bag A: Uses conventional leather from a linear process that creates waste.
  2. Bag B: Uses recycled leather made by upusing scraps through a social enterprise.
  3. Bag C: Uses re-recycled leather composite in an advanced circular process.

  Consumers paid more for bags with stronger circular methods. They did so when quality and the extra production cost were clear.

• Consumer Behavior Complexity: Even with good intentions, a gap exists. Consumers may say they want green products, but many factors stop them from buying. Price, availability, quality, brand, habits, and trust all influence this gap.

Experimental Design

The research used surveys and lab tests to study purchase intentions and willing payment. It used a multiple-price list to check the extra cost consumers accepted for the recycled bags. The bags came from Cartiera, an Italian social enterprise that makes circular leather bags.

Cartiera’s Circular Model

• Material Efficiency: Upcycling lets Cartiera reuse 60% of leather scraps. The remaining 40% turns into a composite at the prototype stage. In all, 85% of the material is reused and only 15% wasted.
• Social Impact: Cartiera hires asylum seekers. It gives training and support while focusing on social and environmental benefits.

Theoretical Framework

• Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB): This theory links attitudes, social norms, and control to consumer goals. In sustainability, moral values also join the mix.
• Lancaster’s Model: Consumers enjoy a product for its features, such as sustainability, quality, and design.
• Intention–Behavior Gap: Many consumers plan to buy green products but face issues that keep them from actually buying.

Market Context and Policy Implications

• Around 66% of consumers worldwide say they will pay extra for green products. In Europe, that number is 72%.
• Sustainable fashion still occupies a small market share.
• The study suggests that behavior, past experience, and product features should all be considered in research.
• For circular economy practices to grow, challenges like price, availability, and trust must be fixed so the gap between intention and behavior can shrink.

Conclusion

The study shows that consumer values and views guide their willingness to pay for sustainable fashion. Circular designs help boost quality and trust in social and environmental benefits. For brands and policymakers, clear talks about product sustainability, cost, and social impact can help circular fashion grow.

Design Delight Studio curates high-impact, authoritative insights into sustainable and organic product trends, helping conscious consumers and innovative brands stay ahead in a fast-evolving green economy.